After ruling out any possibility of joining hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, the Janata Dal (Secular) on Sunday decided to embark on a State-wide padayatra from October 2 to highlight the failures of not only the B.S. Yeddyurappa government in the State, but also the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime at the Centre.
After a meeting of party leaders here, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who is also the president of Janata Dal (Secular) State unit, said the padayatra would begin from Basavakalyan in Bidar district and cover all the districts.
“Our padayatra will not be along the highways, but through the rural roads of the State. We will not host feasts in marriage halls. Instead, we will stay in houses of poor people in villages,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said
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The Janata Dal (S) leader said the meeting, which had been convened in the backdrop of the current political situation, was attended by party legislators, former legislators, former Ministers and presidents of party's district units.
“We took note of the padayatra taken up by the Congress and the counter Swabhimana rallies held in Bellary. Now, the ruling BJP will also be holding conventions in each division of the State”, Mr Kumaraswamy said.
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Mr. Kumaraswamy reiterated that the party would not support the BJP “under any circumstances.”
“Certain vested interests are unnecessarily dragging our party's name and claiming that we will support the BJP. Let me make it clear that we will not support the Bharatiya Janata Party either now or in the future,” he said.
“There is no question of supporting BJP either with or without Reddy brothers,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said in response to a question.
Illegal mining
Referring to the State government's decision to ban export of iron ore and suspend the practice of issuing permits for transportation of ore, Mr. Kumaraswamy said there was no need for permits to transport ore during the regime of B.S. Yeddyurappa. “More ore has been transported without permits than with it,” said the former Chief Minister.